Audiences have
been subjected to an array of male protagonists in arrested development since
Judd Apatow’s film career took off, making No
Way Jose feel a bit underwhelming and derivative. There are moments of
sitcom situation humor which are worthwhile, but the story feels aimless and
the characters like watered down rejects from a sub-par Apatow movie. Actor
Adam Goldberg tries his hand at directing with a screenplay he co-wrote along
with first-time scribe Sarah Kate Levy, but neither have enough experience to
save the film from meandering aimlessly and often without as many laughs as
desired.
Part of the
problem with the screenplay is how much it expects of the audience, providing a
protagonist who is neurotically amusing at best. Goldberg stars in the role of
Jose, which he wrote for himself, but the best thing that can be said about the
role is that it is clearly not a vanity piece. Jose is more than just a series
of personality quirks and commitment issues, especially when statutory rape
becomes the primary running gag for his character. When his fiancée (Ahna
O’Reilly) discovers that Jose is on a phone app for locating registered sex
offenders shortly after moving in with him, she begins to have second thoughts
about their relationship. It doesn’t help matters that Jose is turning
40-years-old and still clings to the dream of being a career rock star. Instead
he has resorted to playing children’s birthday parties with his band, despite
the obvious conflict of interest due to his sordid past.
One might assume that the remainder of the
film would be Jose progressively maturing in some manner, but his behavior
continues to reinforce the red flags from his past. What I found even more
bizarre is the way that the friends in his life are completely casual in their
reaction to his dysfunction. Even when Jose hires a call girl to visit him
while he is sleeping on the couch of his married friend with two young
children, the event is treated unbelievably casually the next morning. He is
selfish, childish and barely capable of supporting himself, but this is mostly
glossed over for a contrived resolution. At a certain point, I began to wish a
better partner for his fiancée, and it is never a good sign when you turn
against the protagonist of a film. Even more damaging is the movie’s inability
to land jokes, making this a comedy which is more painful than painfully funny.
The DVD release
includes extra footage, from deleted scenes to an outtake reel. There is also a
commentary track with co-writer/director/producer/star Goldberg, who probably
could have used a bit more collaboration for his first filmmaking endeavor.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4/10
Historical
Significance: 2/10
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